The proposed research will investigate prostates from hamsters, dogs and rats. Prostate tumors (spontaneous in the dog and inbred, 87.20 Telaco syrian hamster and artifically induced in the rat with estrogen or 3-methyl cholanthrene) as well as normal prostates will be studied. Electron and light microscopy studies will serve to substantiate the degree of tissue hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The proposed investigation encompasses three phases. First, the characteristics of the assimilation of various substances by normal and neoplastic prostates will be studied. This will entail investigating the uptake and metabolism of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and other steroid metabolites. The uptake of non-metabolizable hexoses (e.g. 2-deoxyglucose and 3-0 methyl glucose), non-metabolizable amino acids (e.g. alpha-amino-isobutyric acid and cycloleucine) and non- metabolizable nucleosides (cytosine arabinoside in the rat) will also be studied. Further, an effort will be made to detect differences in prostatic glycolysis by studying key metabolic steps, and in this regard changes in C-AMP will also be investigated. In addition incorporation of amino acids (valine and leucine) into protein and the incorporation of adenosine into RNA and DNA will be measured. The second phase of the proposed studies will deal with the effect of changes in hormonal environment and to what extent it affects prostatic metabolism. The effect of chronic estrogen administration, of castration and of testosterone and estrogen treatments in castrates will be investigated with regard to the effects on the prostate transport mechanisms and metabolic activity. The final phase of the proposed studies will be directed towards producing specific prostate autoantibodies and heteroantibodies. The action of these antibodies on the prostatic function will be studied in relation to the effects on prostate transport mechanisms and key metabolic parameters.